The Sunnydale Rift
by crazygirlne
Summary: When the Doctor arrives in Sunnydale, banter and demon/alien encounters ensue. Takes place S2 for the Doctor and S4 for Buffy.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: My chapters on this are likely to be fairly short (unless I get carried away. It happens.), but these are where the natural breaks fell when I was outlining. My schedule has been crazy lately, so I can't promise as fast updating as usual, but since "usual" for me is a chapter every 1-3 days, there still shouldn't be too long between chapters. I expect six chapters altogether.

This started as an askbox fic for Re-sile, and I wouldn't have written any further if she hadn't encouraged it.

Beta, as usual, the awesome Scullywolf.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Fog crept slowly through the dark cemetery as Buffy Summers circled what looked like a blue phone booth, one that she was sure hadn't been here at her last visit. "Police Public Call Box," it read at the top, and Buffy spared one more glance at the words before continuing around the corner of the box.

She heard a deep growl and raised her stake, raising it just in time as the vampire she'd been tracking lunged at her. With one smooth, practiced movement, she plunged the sharpened wood into her attacker's chest, deep enough to reach his heart. She took a moment to wonder at the fact that vampires still managed to look shocked every time she bested them, trying to decide whether it was the whole "teenage girl" thing or just arrogance, then watched him turn to dust, the resulting pile nearly impossible to see in the high grass and low light.

Beside her, the police box opened, and Buffy readied her stake again, stepping back so she could see more clearly around the wooden doors that hadn't fully opened. A man stepped through, staring at something he held in his hands, frowning. Almost automatically, Buffy took in his clothing; judging by the brown, pinstriped suit and the red converse, his fashion sense hadn't developed locally.

Seeming oblivious to her presence, the man started speaking.

"I'm certain there was someone out here with large traces of rift energy. Well, fairly certain." He paused, smacking the device firmly before twisting a dial. "There are abnormally high ambient energy readings, too. Then again, maybe that's what attracted whomever was here. I know there's a rift nearby, but concentrations that high away from its center are unusual. It's gone now, though, as if what was containing it was destroyed, since there's no indication of teleport or temporal shift," he said, looking behind him into the box and shaking his head before turning back to the device.

Buffy raised her eyebrows, wondering who he could be talking to. It wasn't like there could be much space in there. If she could just take a couple steps to the side…

As she shifted her weight to try to see inside, the man finally seemed to notice her. His eyebrows shot up, and he grinned.

"Hello!" he said, sounding as if he'd had an unexpected surprise. "I was just studying the energy emitting from the nearby rift. It does seem to attract a lot of," he stopped, seeming to rethink what he was going to say, "visitors, doesn't it?" he finished. He looked around, seeming to see his surrounding for the first time. "What year is this? 1998? 2000?"

"It's '99," she replied, tightening her grip at the confirmation that this guy hadn't been around humans for a while, at least not long enough for conversation or things like keeping track of the date. Usually, that meant just one thing: vampire. "And I'm the Slayer."

His friendly smile dropped.

"Slayer? Don't usually get along too well with those who try to kill others," he said, his light tone clashing with his blank expression. Something in his eyes made her suppress a shiver. Buffy didn't exactly scare easily anymore, hadn't for a long time.

"Not _a_ slayer, _the_ Slayer," she clarified, continuing when he arched one brow. "You know, 'one girl in all the world to fight the vampires and demons and forces of darkness.'"

O~O~O

The Doctor studied the petite blonde in front of him. He never did care to judge based on appearance, of course, but this girl looked like she'd feel more at home in a cheerleading outfit than in a graveyard, fighting.

"So, what kind of demon are you, anyway?" she said, ponytail swaying as she fixed him with a glare.

"Demon?" he responded, absently putting the Locational Minimizer inside his jacket before shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. "Been called a lot of things, but it's been I while since I was called a demon."

He quickly went through a mental list of possibilities. Rift energy attracting other species was certainly not without precedent. This was well before the general public had knowledge of aliens, so it was possible this girl had mistaken alien visitations for demonic activity. That combined with the strange readings he was getting from this particular rift, ones that, if he was correct, and he usually was for this sort of thing, would enhance aggression in several of the less-friendly long-term visitors, meant that this "Slayer" had almost certainly had negative experiences with non-terrestrials.

He'd heard the term before, of course, with rumors of Slayers dating back to well before history was recorded in books, typically associated with "vampires," but he'd never actually met someone who claimed to be a Slayer. He'd attributed the whispers of information to humans who encountered aliens or time travelers or both; it seemed that was the explanation for most things supernatural in this particular time period.

"Don't even try to tell me you're human," said the young woman, rolling her eyes as she continued their conversation, "cause my spidey sense is tingling."

He concentrated for a moment and had to suppress an audible reaction to her timeline; it was intertwined with the fate of the entire world. He'd never seen a human quite so singularly important before, and if he hadn't been looking for it with a hint of who she was, he was fairly certain the unusual size of her impact would have blended in entirely to the background and she'd have appeared completely normal. He didn't see timelines quite as well as he had in some regenerations, but he was fairly certain he'd not encountered this kind impact from one person, at least not for a very long time.

"Well, not human, no, but then, neither are you exactly an ordinary human, based on what you've said," he told her, nodding to himself. Despite her willingness to kill without even understanding what it was she was killing, she had made no move to attack him. She didn't seem to be the sort who resorted to mindless violence, and this made him much more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt in their interactions. "I didn't catch your name, Slayer of Vampires."

"It's Buffy," she said, raising her chin slightly as if in challenge.

"Hello, Buffy," he said with a grin. "I'm the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "That anything like the Master?"

His grin slipped. The Master shouldn't be here, not in this time and place. If he was...

"You know the Master?" he asked.

"Knew him, staked him, consecrated his remains, the usual," she replied.

"Oh, yes, vampire, right," said the Doctor. He attempted to put his smile back in place and returned his focus to the person in front of him.

"You haven't told me what you are yet, Doctor," she told him.

"Alien, of course," he replied. "Well, to you. You're the alien to me. Since we are on your native planet, though, I suppose it's more accurate to call me the alien. Time Lord, specifically."

"Huh?" Buffy was leveling him with a look that would probably wither a perfectly healthy plant, her grip on the stake tight despite the fact that she'd finally lowered it. "Aliens are real?" she asked.

"More real than what you call vampires," he replied. "Most mythological species that exist on your planet are, in fact, alien species, or at least alien hybrids. At any rate, I wouldn't say it's accurate to call them vampires."

Buffy crossed her arms, effortlessly avoiding staking her arm. The Doctor noted that the stake seemed to be an extension of her arm, something she didn't need to consciously think about in order to use.

"And what do _you_ call vampires, then, Mister Alien?"

"Well, there are all sorts of different species you lot mistake for vampires. This particular sort of 'vampire,' though," he eyed the pile of dust near Buffy's feet, "probably Dammusks. They reproduce by taking over the bodies of the previously living, correct?"

"Duh. Vampire," Buffy appeared unimpressed, and the Doctor wondered briefly how much this young woman had seen in her life. "You know, demon inhabiting a person's body."

"Well, alien inhabiting a person's body," he corrected. "They bind to so much of their host that it renders the body unable to maintain its original form after the parasitic life form has been removed, hence the pile of dust. There are other species who reproduce in a similar manner, certainly, but the Dammusk is easy to spot when it's deceased."

Buffy arched an eyebrow at him.

"Still don't believe you're alien," she said, glancing down briefly to flick some dirt from under a nail before returning her gaze to the Doctor.

Her eyes held so much. The Doctor held his breath a moment as he was again forced to think of his people, so often so very old in bodies that didn't match. Buffy had seen more darkness in her short life than anyone should have to. Yet, she still seemed to be clinging to what light she could find. She hadn't crumbled, hadn't holed up in despair. Her body language and her manner of speaking both declared the same thing: Buffy was tougher than anything life could throw at her. He thought for a moment, then came to a decision. Maybe he could show her that not all aliens-even if she hadn't been aware they were aliens-were intent on harming others.

"Want to see my ship?" he asked, beaming at her. In return, she stared until he started to feel uncomfortable. "Have I got something on my face?" he asked, rubbing a cheek to check.

"Lemme guess," said Buffy, "your spaceship is that phone booth?" She nodded at the TARDIS, and he realized that with where she was standing, she'd been unable to see inside.

"Yup," he replied, smile growing even wider as he anticipated her reaction once she saw the interior. He turned around and took a few steps in, then looked over his shoulder and waited for the Slayer to join him.

O~O~O

Buffy watched the skinny man walked into the box and sighed.

"Isn't it a bit small for both of us?" she asked as she walked toward where she'd lost sight of him. "I mean, not that I've never gotten cuddly with a demon," she muttered, "but…"

Buffy felt her mouth continue moving, but no words were coming out as she stared. The inside of the box was much, much bigger than it looked on the outside. She leaned to one side to check the outside again, then straightened. It didn't appear that it was underground, either, which would at least explain things. Plenty of tombs were bigger underground than above.

"It's…" she started, taking another step forward, stopping before actually setting foot inside.

"Bigger on the inside," he finished, sounding as excited as Willow did when she was playing with a new computer thingy.

"And this is your space ship?" she managed, gathering her brain again.

"Yup!" the Doctor answered, popping the P and moving further inside. He looked over his shoulder again when she didn't follow him immediately. "Come on, then."

Buffy took a breath, checked to make sure nothing was amiss in the otherwise deserted graveyard, then took a step into what she'd mistaken for a phone booth.

She wasn't sure whether the Doctor was crazy or whether she was the crazy one, but definitely one of them was crazy.

She couldn't wait to tell Giles.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: So sorry this silly little chapter took me a few weeks. However, after long, overwhelming, wonderful visits from family, I'm finally able to find writing time again._

_Beta: Scullywolf, who is super amazingly awesome and took time from preparing for her own family visits so that she could read this for me._

* * *

Buffy looked around the room as she walked toward the console in the middle, where the Doctor had stopped and was watching her expectantly.

"Impressive," she said, nodding, "but I've seen caves that were bigger."

The Doctor frowned.

"This isn't a cave. Besides, this is just the console room. The TARDIS can provide whatever I need. There's a galley, a library, bedrooms, all down that way."

He smiled at Buffy, looking like a parent showing off a talented child.

"Bedrooms? Lotsa people sleepover on your spaceship?" She ran a finger along the edge of the console as she continued to look around.

"No," he replied, then furrowed his brow slightly. "Well, yes, I suppose, it probably does amount to a lot by this point. Not usually more than one or two at a time. Not that the TARDIS couldn't handle more, of course."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at him. She still couldn't decide for certain whether she was imagining things. Maybe she'd fallen asleep in class again. A spaceship that looked like a phone booth but was big enough for that many rooms? An alien that looked human? Then again, vamps looked human, too, when they weren't all bumpy, but vamps didn't usually say they had spaceships.

"So, your spaceship can fit lots of people. Houses can do that, too, and hotels. Can even sleep in a school, really, but I try to avoid sleeping in public places, personally." She tapped a finger on the console as she wondered just how many vamps would try to attack her if she slept somewhere they could get to. "Anyway, is your ship fast, at least?"

His slight pout faded.

"Yup!" He grinned. "She's able to get to her location immediately."

"Why do all guys use 'she'?" Buffy asked. "I mean, is there like some guide or something? If you've got a truck or a spaceship, it's a she?"

The Doctor blinked.

"Well, the TARDIS is sentient, so it's a bit different than…"

"Wait, you mean 'sentient' like alive?" Buffy interrupted. "So we're like inside something that's alive right now? 'Cause that is totally gross."

"Well, not like that. She's grown more like a plant," he paused to lovingly stroke a piece of an orangey column, and Buffy's eyebrows shot upward again, "so from an 'ick' standpoint, she's not any more 'gross' than living in a wooden house."

"Right. Except my house isn't still alive."

Buffy started walking around the console, tuning the Doctor out a bit as she studied her surroundings. Before she'd completed a circle, she stopped.

"Um, Doctor?" she asked. "Do you like to wear women's clothes? I mean, not that that's a problem, you know, only I'm probably going to leave before you start doing it."

"What?" he asked, sounding baffled, as he moved to join her. "Oh." He reached down and picked up the summery dress that was on the floor. "It's not mine."

She watched how he held the dress. He looked like he wanted to snuggle with it. Buffy was sure her eyebrows were going to fall off by the time she finished their conversation.

"Whose is it then? I hope there's closets, too, and someone's not walking around without anything to wear." She peered into the hallway.

"No. It belongs to Rose." He draped it carefully over a seat. "And yes, there are wardrobes."

Maybe aliens weren't as stuffy about things like nudity.

"Does she always take her clothes off in here?"

"No," the Doctor answered, turning away. "She's visiting her mother and took laundry with her. Must have dropped it. Does that sometimes."

Buffy's eyes darted to his unadorned left hand.

"So do you and Rose live together? Is she like your girlfriend?"

He turned back to her, briefly, and Buffy was sure she saw him blush slightly before he turned back to the console. Or maybe it was just the glow from those red shoes.

"What? No. Time Lords don't have girlfriends."

"Time Lord? That's what kind of alien you are, right? And, what, aliens are too mature for girlfriends?"

Buffy thought for a moment as she awaited his response. It seemed like a lot of guys didn't like commitment, even off planet Earth. Then again, having a girlfriend didn't always mean you weren't mature. After all, Giles….

"Giles! I was supposed to meet him like an hour ago," Buffy said as she turned and trotted toward the exit.

"Wait," called the Doctor. "I can get you there faster."

Buffy paused, considering. Not taking a ride with strangers was taken to a whole new level when you were talking about alien spaceships instead of a car.

"I think if I show up late in your ship, he's gonna be even more angry at me," she said. Before she could continue her trip out the door, the Doctor spoke again.

"It travels in time, too," he said, and Buffy spun to face him, glad she was near the door since this statement was making her crazy-or-dreaming alarm go off again. "This isn't a fixed point. Can get you there without even being late."

"Time travel?" she said, feeling an irrationally strong reluctance toward the thought of it. It was one thing to fantasize about being able to manage slaying and school and family and friends and all the things she needed more time in the day for, but when it came to actually being offered the chance to time travel? "A world of no. I'll just walk fast and hope he's not too mad. It's not far. Wanna come with? I need proof I met an alien or Giles is never gonna believe me."

The Doctor seemed to consider it, and Buffy wondered whether he was going to be late picking up his girlfriend. No, wait, he couldn't be late if he had time travel, right?

"If you tell me where you're headed, I'll meet you there," he said, finally.

O~O~O

A few minutes later, the Doctor was programming the coordinates, and Buffy had left, presumably on her way toward the address she'd given him for Giles.

Left with a quiet moment while he worked, his mind inevitably flitted to his absent companion. After Jackie's encounter with Elton, Rose had thought it would be a good idea to stay with her mum for a few days. They'd been traveling together for some time, so the Doctor had gotten used to Rose's visits away. He supposed they weren't nearly as frequent as they felt, but when Rose was gone, things were… different.

Sometimes he just skipped ahead to when he was supposed to pick her back up. Occasionally, he attempted to stay on Earth with her. Usually, though, he set the coordinates at random and dealt with whatever adventure the TARDIS offered him, and that's what he'd done to arrive here.

He wondered what Rose would think of Buffy. He suspected they'd either get along famously or not at all, and he wasn't entirely certain which outcome was more likely. He could always go pick her up and find out, retrieving Rose when she'd asked and still arriving on time to meet Buffy…

No. He was over 900 years old. He could manage traveling without a companion.

He shifted his focus back to the TARDIS's readouts as they rematerialized in their new location. The Doctor verified that he was still in Sunnydale, California, at the current residence of one Rupert Giles, approximately 5.2 seconds-linear time, of course, not that time ever really acted in such a fashion-after Buffy had left the TARDIS.

His display showed him that there was someone outside the TARDIS. A male of approximately Buffy's age was staring, unmoving, at the TARDIS, mouth agape. The young man had dark hair and a facial expression that reminded him somewhat of Mickey Smith. It was probably a good thing that he didn't bring Rose.

The Doctor moved to the doors and quickly exited the TARDIS, palms facing forward to show he was unarmed, just in case this person was ready to attack. It was harder to judge potential reactions with the odd rift energy to muck things up, and he'd rather not regenerate just yet.

Especially around people who were accustomed to killing things that rose from the dead.

"Woah," said the male, still staring. "Hey, Giles?" he called, voice raised slightly as he aimed his head toward a nearby door.

"Oh, good, you're with Buffy, then," said the Doctor, relieved he'd not revealed himself to more people unnecessarily. Though he loved meeting new humans, there was something about this town that was making him want to be a bit more cautious than usual. Whether he succeeded in that task was likely to be another matter altogether.

"You know Buffy?" he asked.

Before the Doctor had a chance to respond, another blonde female came into view.

"Oh," she said as she continued forward. "Who's your friend, Xander?"

"Not _my_ friend," he replied, a bit too forcefully in the Doctor's humble opinion. "Buffy's friend, or so he claims." Xander leveled him with a glare.

The Doctor opened his mouth again to dispute the fact that he'd ever claimed anything of the sort, but the female spoke before he could.

"Oh? How do you know Buffy?" she asked, blinking as she stood next to Xander.

"Wellll, technically speaking, I…"

The Doctor was again interrupted, this time by the arrival of Buffy herself. He ran a hand through his hair while she spoke.

"Heya, Doc," she said as she casually joined the other two. She peered at the TARDIS. "You got here fast. I mean, you said you would, but I'm still not sure about a lot of things you said. Like the whole you-being-an-alien thing. I mean, I thought about it on the way over, and I'm not convinced you're not just a demon who does hallucinations. We've had those, you know."

"Wait, what? An alien?" said Xander while the woman between him and Buffy looked intrigued.

"I am not a demon," the Doctor said with a sigh. "I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey."

"Don't need any aliens," muttered Xander. "With my luck, Willow will get cranky again and make me an alien magnet this time." He looked at the blonde closest to him. "Anya, I don't wanna be probed."

"Shh," was Anya's firm response before she turned her attention back to the Doctor. "You may continue with your nonsensical explanation," she said with a nod, looking pleased with herself.

The Doctor blinked again.

"Thanks," he said before turning toward Buffy. He opened his mouth again, determined to explain a little better or, failing that, at least to change the subject. However, he was again interrupted by a door opening to his side. Blimey, was this what it felt like to others when his gob ran away with him?

A man older than the rest, Giles, the Doctor presumed, stuck his head out the now-open door.

"Xander, why were you shouting outside of my door again?" the man said. "Is that really n… What in the world is a police box doing here?"

"Oh, it's a spaceship," offered Buffy helpfully. "The Doctor here's an alien, and I guess it's all instant travel like, 'Beam me up, Scotty.'"

"Scotty wasn't an alien," corrected Xander.

Giles studied the Doctor a moment before returning his attention to Buffy and sighing. He took off his glasses and proceeded to clean them.

"Right then. Buffy, we'd best discuss this inside," said Giles.

The humans all went inside, and the Doctor followed with a shrug, noting how closely Buffy and Giles watched him as he crossed into the dwelling. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and leaned against a wall, facing the group, studying their interactions, noticing that Buffy had positioned herself closest to him, balance indicating she was ready to move as soon as she was needed. She was clearly the protector of the group, though judging by Giles' expression, he wasn't to be trifled with, either.

"So, Giles," said Buffy after everyone seemed relatively comfortable, "you wanted to see me?"

"Oh, yes," replied Giles. "I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem."

* * *

_Reviews!_

_I'll continue to respond to any reviews at the end of the following chapter :)_

_tolemic: That really meant a lot to me. I was fairly nervous about writing for a different verse since I'd not yet tried anything outside of Doctor Who. I'm enjoying writing it, so it's great to hear that people have enjoyed the initial results._

_guest: I haven't forgotten about Donna :) I worked with my wording very carefully based on the timing of this for the Doctor, and I've got a lot more details going on for the timeline thing than will end up being shared in the story. I'm happy to discuss via PM/Tumblr/email if you have any interest in my headcanon. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Beta services provided by the lovely scullywolf, who lets me ramble at her frequently._

* * *

_"__Oh, yes," replied Giles. "I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem."_

"Apocalypse?" asked Buffy, lightly.

"No," answered Giles with a slight tilt of his head. "No, not this time. Probably."

"Was it Willow again?" chimed Anya, again with the cheerily-bland tone and excessive blinking.

"Anya," muttered Xander.

"No," said Giles again, "though she should be here any minute now. Perhaps we should wait…"

"So," said the Doctor nonchalantly as he studied those in front of him, "is this Willow often a problem?"

"She's our friend," said Buffy, raising her chin slightly and crossing her arms.

"Well," the Doctor rubbed his neck, "I've known a friend or two who might have been a problem. A bit."

"She was going through a hard time and tried to use magic to make herself feel better," said Buffy. "It backfired a little. No big."

"Just don't let her say anything about you being a demon magnet," added Xander helpfully.

The Doctor considered what he'd heard. Magic. Impossible, of course, in the traditional sense, though the Doctor knew that many things with perfectly logical explanations often masqueraded as magic. For instance, there was a particular race that used words as its scientific instruments. Fascinating, really. And it wasn't as if this group hadn't already mistaken one perfectly ordinary species for something else entirely.

The door opened, admitting a young woman with a hair color that the Doctor thought everyone must envy.

"Oh, hello," she addressed the Doctor. He grinned in return.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor," he said, extending his hand as he turned toward her. She glanced at Giles before accepting his handshake.

"I'm Willow," she told him.

He thought for a moment, putting together what he'd learned and determining the best title to use for her. He wasn't _always_ rude, after all.

"So you're the witch? Willow the witch. Oh, that's fun to say. Willow the witch," he enunciated. He noted the silence in the room and looked around. Everyone was staring, including Willow.

Well, maybe he still needed to work on the rude thing. Really, though, who doesn't love a good alliteration?

"Yeah," said Willow uncertainly. "Um, Giles? Is he why we're here?"

"No, actually," responded Giles. "Though if he is who he claims he is, he could certainly be of assistance." Giles studied the Doctor for a moment. Unruffled, the Doctor stared right back with a grin. "Willow, do you still have the supplies for that truth spell?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. Magic that could affect will? Not the harmless sort, then.

"No need for a truth spell," said the Doctor. It was unlikely that kind of mind-altering ability would affect him, superior physiology and all, but it wasn't one of the many sorts of risks he was willing to take. He shoved his hands back into his trouser pockets. "Besides, don't think it would work on me." He scanned the room, taking note of each of the many artifacts he saw. Many of them would clearly identify him as non-human, but given the presence of "demons" and this group's reaction to them, that wouldn't serve his purpose. "Aha," he said finally, darting toward a small statue on a bookcase. He picked it up and quickly activated it, setting it down on the coffee table as the little humanoid's eyes began extending, rocking back on his heels in anticipation as its feet started to grow.

O~O~O

Buffy watched, ready to intervene, as the little statue's feet got bigger. Suddenly, there was a cracking noise, and the statue shriveled, almost melting onto the table. The Doctor's face fell.

"Guessing that's not what was supposed to happen?" she queried.

"It's an identification device created by the Glasterborniums, designed to look like an ordinary statue, used to identify different species when communications were down and trust was an issue." The Doctor paused, touching the melted bit of yuck cautiously, pulling back when it steamed and then evaporated altogether. "A graphical interface should have appeared to list relevant information."

"A projection or like a micro-monitor?" asked Willow, and the Doctor's eyes lit up again.

Willow and the Doctor fell immediately into a discussion of technomagic, or whatever it was called when you mixed computer thingies and magic. Buffy tuned it out slightly as she looked around. Xander and Anya were on the couch all… cuddly, and Giles was studying the maybe-alien. Probably-alien. Spike was unaccounted for, probably tied up in the bathtub again, which was good since she still didn't want to think about their last encounter too much.

Lips of Spike. Eugh.

"What do you think of him, Giles?" she asked quietly, watching the Doctor and Willow conversing animatedly.

"I'm not sure I believe he's extraterrestrial, if that's what you mean," he said, "but it does appear he may have some knowledge that could prove to be of some benefit."

"I think he believes it," she said. "I'm not sure, but unless he's making people hallucinate things he's sure of anyway, he might be the real thing. Maybe. Anyway, so what's the Big Bad?"

"Oh, yes, right," he said, cleaning his glasses again. "There've recently been increased reports of small animals going missing. Cats, gerbils, and the like. I suspected maybe a weakened demon was feeding off whatever he could get ahold of. Then the, erm, victims started getting bigger in size, venturing as far as large dogs. I was considering asking you to do a focused patrol, but then I got ahold of a report of an attempt on a human in the same area."

"Vamp?" A straightforward, easy-to-slay vampire would be great.

"No," he answered. Drat. "I was able to obtain a police sketch. They think the victim is delusional, obviously," he continued as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket, "though, I'll admit, this demon isn't one I'm familiar with, and I was unable to find it in any of my texts while waiting for you to get here."

Buffy took the sketch from Giles. The creature was tall, sturdy, with three eyes and a tail.

"That's a Hurshtravull. Male, looks like, judging by the ears."

Buffy looked up to see the Doctor standing in front of her, peering at the rough drawing.

"You can tell from the ears?" asked Buffy, her voice reflecting a mix of being impressed and being incredulous.

"Of course!" said the Doctor. "These tassels aren't there when the Hurshtravull is in female form." He pointed to the big hairy things at the bottom of the ears. "Fascinating species, really, and one of few that changes gender according to the needs of those in their current habitat."

"Hurshtravull, you say?" asked Giles, peering at the sketch again. "I've not heard of that particular demon."

"Hurshtravull," the Doctor corrected, though Buffy couldn't hear any difference in the way he said it and the way Giles had. "And I never said it was a demon. Alien. Specifically, it's native to the planet Kllottskshoo."

"Gesundheit," supplied Buffy automatically.

"You've so far failed to prove that you yourself are alien, and you expect me to accept that this sketch is of another alien?" Giles had on his cranky voice that he liked to use when Buffy was being perfectly reasonable.

The Doctor's hand twitched before he shoved both hands back into his pockets.

"Suppose it doesn't really matter whether you believe me about the planet of origin. Alien or not," said the Doctor, "I have information about this… being. And," his tongue clicked as it fell from the roof of his mouth, "I can speak with it."

"You know how to speak its language?" asked Giles.

"No. Well, yes, actually, most words, at any rate, but the TARDIS translates for me." The Doctor looked proud.

"That's his ship," Buffy added helpfully.

O~O~O

It really was so much easier to teach people who knew nothing of aliens than to teach people who had been given the wrong information, thought the Doctor, fondly remembering varied reactions to his species over the years. He shook the blonde out of his head and returned his focus to the present.

The Doctor admitted to himself that the behavior linked with this particular Hrshtravl wasn't exactly typical for its species. However, having landed in a town with an excessive number of violent entities-and a few violent humans-how many species _would_ act entirely normal?

"How many languages can she translate?" asked Willow, eyes sparkling.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Haven't asked her recently. Shouldn't be any languages she can't translate, though. Right," he continued, "so I can speak with the Hrshtravl and try reasoning with it. As Willow and I were discussing, I believe that the energy from the rift-erm, Hellmouth-is affecting many susceptible alien species by enhancing latent aspects of personality along with some physical abilities. Humans, too, really, which is why you've been able to attract such strong witches. Willow would be brilliant anyway, of course, but the energy enhancing her abilities made it easier for her to access them."

"It's really cool," added Willow, "and everything he says fits with the magical theories I've studied, only, he uses different words, of course."

"A few things are different," he allowed, "since I'm speculating as to some of the specific effects of the local energies. Still, nothing should prevent me speaking with the Hrshtravl, which means there will be no slaying needed." He beamed.

Though Giles had been the one to take the lead in gathering information, the Doctor noticed that attention had shifted back to Buffy herself now that it was time to make a decision.

"Okay," she said with a nod. "We'll try it your way. I've seen too many demons attack without good reason to be sure that this one won't, too." The Doctor made a conscious choice to let the "demon" thing go for a while. "Plus, like you said, things are different on the Hellmouth. Giles, where did you say this thing was attacking?"

Giles showed Buffy on the map while the Doctor studied Willow, finding himself wondering again what Rose would think. She didn't care for even the TARDIS's being in her head at first, so what would she think of humans who could not just see the future, but could also influence what was around them, to include the way people think and speak? Then again, Rose had grown so much in the time they'd been together, proving to be an intelligent, compassionate woman who saw so much that he didn't. How would she relate to this red-headed witch?

"You miss someone," said Willow, watching him, and the Doctor blinked. "I can tell."

"Mmmm," replied the Doctor noncommittally. "Are you missing someone, then?"

"I'm doing better," she said. "Wasn't doing so well for a while." She studied him longer, and he fidgeted a bit. His mental shields were firmly in place and hadn't been breached, but he felt like she could see right through him. "Who left you?"

"Well," he rubbed his neck, "quite a lot of people have left me. Rose, though, she's just visiting her mum."

"Are you together?" she asked.

"We…" he started.

"Okay, so, here's the gameplan," said Buffy, unaware of the side conversation. "Doctor, you and me will go where the demon was seen last. Xander, Anya, Willow, same area, but keep your distance. Giles will stay here with… here. You try to talk, Doctor, but I'll be armed and ready to step in if he doesn't wanna play nice."

Xander and Anya looked up from a low, heated discussion to nod their agreement, and Willow agreed, as well. Buffy moved to a large chest and started sorting through the arsenal contained within. The Doctor crossed his arms, one hand over the pocket that held his sonic screwdriver. He already had all the tools he needed to handle this encounter.

Weapons would be unnecessary. He was sure of it.

After Buffy had selected her sharp objects of choice-no guns, at least-and handed a few to the others, she looked at the Doctor.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yup," he replied. As they left Giles's place, the Doctor thought to himself that the rest of the night was likely to be either entirely uneventful or extremely interesting.

* * *

_Reviews!_

_GenoBeast: Don't worry! I write mainly in the Doctor Who fandom-this is my first time with another fandom, actually-but as much as I adore each member of the Scoobies, c'mon, it's the Doctor. He's the Doctor!_

_Erlomast: Thank you very much for saying! I was feeling a little bad about that chapter, so the review helped a ton!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Sorry my posting schedule has been crazy irregular for this. Mix normal crazy life stuff with fun things like four-day migraines, and not much time gets left for writing if I want the end result to be at least tolerable ;)_

_I'm still on track for six chapters, so we're almost there!_

_Beta: Scullywolf!_

* * *

"Okay," said Buffy, scanning the darkened street for movement, "this is where Giles said the demon should be."

After heading out, the group had split up as planned, leaving Buffy and the Doctor to search for signs-debris, people screaming, the usual-in the more likely places.

These were, of course, the dark and creepy sorts of places. Couldn't the big bad ever take a trip to the mall or something?

Oh. Wait. Nevermind.

"See anything yet?" asked the Doctor, looking around curiously.

"Thought you said your eyes are better than mine," said Buffy. "Least, that's what I heard you telling Willow when you two were getting all chummy before we went separate ways."

"Well," said the Doctor, running a hand through his hair, "yes, technically, my eyesight is superior, as is the rest of my physiology. In fact," he continued, only to be shushed by Buffy.

"Wait a sec. You hear that?"

She shifted the weight on her feet, standing quietly, ready to react if confronted, reaching out with her other senses when her eyes failed to immediately let her know what she'd heard. She turned her head just in time to see a large shape emerge from a sewer opening just outside of the reach of the nearest functioning, dimly-lit streetlamps. As it drew closer-Buffy noted that it moved quickly, gracefully, nothing like the lumbering walk she'd expect from something bigger than most humans-the Doctor took a few steps to stand next to her, a tool or weapon or something held comfortably in his right hand.

The demon had no obvious physical advantages other than its size, and there were no visible weapons, no clothes to conceal them in if they weren't attached to him. He wasn't pretty, but Buffy'd definitely seen worse.

"Okay, Doctor," said Buffy, lowering her arm so she could let her most-accessible stake drop into her hand if needed, "you're up."

O~O~O

The Hrshtravl approached, moving approximately zero point three times faster than he'd seen one move before. Odd.

"Hello there!" he called, letting the TARDIS translate. "I'm the Doctor! How are you on this fine evening?" He grinned, putting on his most approachable expression.

The Hrshtravl came to a stop several paces away and emitted a low growl. The Doctor saw Buffy tense.

"Wait," he whispered before returning to a normal volume. "I suppose it's not a _perfect_ evening. Few clouds, chance of rain, bit odd for a place called Sunnydale, don't you think?" He gave the alien a moment to speak or move. The Hrshtravl's heart rate was faster than usual for the species, much faster, but the Doctor saw no attempt at movement. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Klurggknarff," he said after another quiet growl. He shifted his weight slightly, looking between the Doctor and Buffy.

"Klurggknarff! Always did want to meet a Klurggknarff," said the Doctor. Buffy snorted beside him, and Klurggknarff's hand twitched. "So, what brings you to these parts?"

"Crash."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. Last time he spoke to a Hrshtravl, it had seemed a much more… eloquent species. Wouldn't stop talking. And, by the Doctor's calculations, the species should be at the same level of development currently. Either the Doctor was mistaken, or this particular being was unusual.

"Here alone, then?" he asked.

"Crash killed mate," Klurggknarff answered, taking a step forward.

"Ah," said the Doctor. That explained some of it. Hrshtravl were a species that had mating even more ingrained in the genetic pattern than most, to the point that a Hrshtravl's gender would change if he or she were unattached and the nearest compatible single was of the same gender. Procreation was a premium. "How's your ship, then? If you need help repairing it, I'm happy to lend a hand." He smiled.

Klurggknarff growled, a bit more loudly this time.

"Ship fixed. I fixed. I stay."

The Doctor saw Buffy let her stake drop into her hand, but she made no move to attack, even when the alien took another step forward. He frowned as he thought.

"Shouldn't you want to return home? Be assigned another mate?"

Beside him, Buffy spoke quietly.

"Are they that easy to replace?"

"For the Hrshtravl," he answered.

There was another growl, even louder, the Hrshtravl's weight now leaning in their direction.

This wasn't right. He shouldn't be showing aggression. The Doctor activated his sonic screwdriver and stared at the settings. He blinked, then retrieved the Locational Minimizer from his jacket, frowning again as he read the display and returned it to its place.

Klurggknarff was nearly dripping with rift energy, and it was clearly increasing his aggression to an unnatural level. Based on the readings, the Doctor was fairly certain the Hrshtravl must be putting all of his concentration into restraining himself, fighting against the urge to attack.

No wonder he wasn't speaking much.

"I can get you away from here," said the Doctor, carefully choosing his words.

Klurggknarff closed his eyes, then started a rumbling growl, getting louder quickly.

"I… cannot go. I will not go," the Hrshtravl managed without ceasing his threatening noise. "You will not take me. Can't. Won't. I grrraowwrrrrrr." His words deteriorated, and he opened his eyes and lunged toward the Doctor and Buffy, leading with claws and teeth. The Doctor stepped to the side and leaned away, watching Buffy effortlessly tuck and roll out of the attacking alien's path.

Buffy stood and moved to retaliate.

"No, wait," called the Doctor, watching Klurggknarff double over. The other alien held his stomach and shook his head.

Buffy halted her attack but remained in position, stake raised and ready to resume.

The Hrshtravl stood again and ran off, quickly fading from view in the dark. Buffy moved to follow, looked at the Doctor, and seemed to consider her options. She took a breath and lowered her weapon.

"This isn't normal behavior," explained the Doctor. "He shouldn't be like this. The Hrshtravl aren't quite pacifists, but they don't attack unprovoked, either. It appears the rift energy has increased his aggression beyond what he can contain."

"Do you think you can get him back to normal? Get him to stop attacking?" Buffy put her stake away but kept her eyes trained on the direction the angered alien had run.

"He's fighting it admirably, but the energy is addictive, and he's unwilling to leave. I need to do some research and some searching on the TARDIS," he said, "but I suspect that he will return to normal quickly enough if I can get him away from the, erm, Hellmouth. Even faster if he'll submit to medical attention to speed things along. If he stays, though, if he's here much longer, I don't know whether the effects can be reversed."

The Doctor sighed. It was time to get back to his ship and figure out exactly what was going on. He put his sonic back in his jacket and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"C'mon," he told Buffy. "Let's go find the others."

O~O~O

Buffy wasn't really sure whether she'd made the right choice in letting the demonic alien go. Hopefully the Doctor could pull something else magic out of his jacket in time to keep the Hurshey-whatsit from killing someone.

Meanwhile, they were headed back to the police phone ship thingy. They'd found Willow, Anya, and Xander quickly enough. Anya said she had something she had to do, and she went off on her own. Buffy wondered whether maybe the demon vs alien thing was a bit more weird for an ex-demon.

"So I get to see your spaceship?" asked Xander. "You're not going to abduct us, right?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"I don't abduct people," he said before pursing his lips in thought. "Well, not often, at any rate. No plans to today." He grinned.

"Well, that's reassuring," said Xander sarcastically. "And we're going there 'cause you've got a bigger library than Giles?"

"No," said the Doctor before correcting himself. "Well, yes, actually, but I can get the information I need from the TARDIS's computer."

"Willow's good with the computer stuff," supplied Buffy. "I'm more comfortable with demons."

"You're not that bad, Buffy," lied Willow generously.

"Thanks, Will," she responded absently.

They'd reached the blue box, and she was watching the Doctor unlock it.

"Doesn't the future mean you have better locks?" asked Buffy. "I mean, that doesn't look all that sturdy."

"She's stronger than she looks," said the Doctor, opening the door. "Besides, the more advanced the lock, the easier it is to break into, if you've got the right tools."

His satisfied grin told her he might have those sorts of tools. Note to self: Don't bother with locks around the Doctor.

Buffy glanced around the room she'd seen before, then turned to watch her friends' expressions as they entered.

"Woah," said Xander eloquently. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Hadn't noticed," said the Doctor calmly as he began fiddling with things at the console.

"It's…," started Willow. She paused, looking around, shutting the door behind her, and walking further into the room. "Is it like another dimension?"

The Doctor beamed.

"Dimensionally transcendent. Best way to fit more space into less space!"

He turned back to what looked like a computer built into the console and started working, Willow watching over his shoulder even though none of it looked like it was in English. It wasn't even real letters. Buffy glanced down a hallway that led out of the room.

"Mind if I look around?" she asked.

The Doctor looked at her momentarily before turning back to what he was doing.

"Don't mind. The TARDIS shouldn't let you go anywhere off-limits. If you want to use the swimming pool, there ought to be some spare suits in the wardrobe room."

Buffy nodded and looked at Xander.

"Want to come with?"

"Sure," he said. "Not every day I get to see a spaceship."

"Willow?" she asked.

"Hmm? Oh," the redhead answered, "no, I'm fine here." She turned back to watch the Doctor's screen, and Buffy shrugged.

She and Xander started down the hall. The first room they came to was a kitchen with plenty of shiny things in it, some normal, some very alien. It was reassuring to know the Doctor probably ate like a normal person, at least. After deciding neither was hungry, Buffy and Xander continued along the hallway, coming to a room with clothing next. They spent some time marveling at the variety of apparel before continuing, checking out the library and then deciding it was time to head back to see how the research was going.

"Hey, Buffy," called Willow as they re-entered the room. "Have fun?"

"Yup," she answered. "You?"

"Yeah," she said, coming to meet her and Xander while the Doctor finished reading something on the screen. "There's so much information available. He couldn't let me see everything, of course, compromised time lines and all, but it's so cool. And he was able to figure out some more of what's going on with the Hrshtravl. The Hellmouth, it's like a rift in time and space, and ours, it's tied to someplace that's leaking this, this addictive, aggressive energy. It doesn't affect species that aren't compatible with it, so that's why we don't have a whole city full of people who are killing each other and stuff, 'cause humans don't really feel it, but this demon, he is compatible, and so it's making him mean, and faster and stronger, and since he's not that kind of guy normally, he doesn't like it, and he's trying to fight it, but he, he can't, and it's just gonna get worse, but the Doctor…"

"Willow," interrupted Buffy.

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget to take a breath."

"Oh," said Willow, complying. "Yeah. It's just all so cool. Anyway, he thinks he can fix it, so we're gonna go talk to Giles and let him know what's going on."

"We shouldn't bring Giles on here," mentioned Xander. "He'd never leave the library."

Willow's eyes lit up, and Buffy spoke quickly.

"Come on. Let's go talk to Giles."

The Doctor looked over at them and nodded, and the group left the TARDIS, the Doctor locking the door behind him.

* * *

_Reviews! _

_Erlomast: That makes me very happy to hear! Thank you so much for reviewing. I really appreciate it, and it made the last few hundred words flow much more quickly._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Since the last update, I've been scheduled for a surgery that should fix several health issues for me, which is great, but it's not the greatest for writing in the short term. So I'm finishing this story before then, but then I may not be writing for a month or so (recovery time is between 4 and 6 weeks for most). Anyway, thank you so much, readers, for sticking with me during my irregular updates, and you can expect the sixth and final chapter soon :)_

_Beta: The always-awesome Scullywolf_

* * *

Buffy watched Willow speaking animatedly to the Doctor as they all crossed the courtyard to Giles's place, her best friend's bubbly interest completely different from the depression she'd battled-somewhat literally, what with the extra helping of demons-just a week or so earlier.

Though Buffy herself hadn't gone off the deep end when Angel left-this time-she fully understood Willow's downage. It was just even better to see her friend happy and interested again, finally, after losing Oz.

They entered Giles's living room, where Giles was sitting on his couch, drinking a cup of tea.

He was so British sometimes.

He looked up at their entrance.

"Any luck?" he asked, setting his mug down within reach.

"Didn't get him, but there's a new plan, I think," answered Buffy, nodding to Willow and the Doctor while Xander made himself comfortable.

"Right, so there's this, this energy, right, that comes from the Hellmouth?" explained Willow. "And it's what's making him act this way, so if we can just like… separate him from the energy, even for a little while, we should be able to get him safely home."

She smiled, and the Doctor beamed happily, whether at Willow's explanation or just because he was a little weird, Buffy wasn't sure.

Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them, putting them back on as he spoke.

"Do we know how to do that? Harnessing mystical energy of the sort that must emanate from the Hellmouth, well, it's complicated at best."

"Right!" responded the Doctor as if Giles had just said exactly the right thing. "Unless one happens to be in the company of an advanced, sentient device which can quickly analyze things of that nature." He spotted some blank papers and bounded over to them, picking one up. "May I?" At Giles's nod, the Doctor moved over to a clear wall, pressed the paper against it, and started drawing with a pen Buffy hadn't seen him pick up. "So if the Hellmouth's energy looks like this," he scribbled a wavy line, and Giles got up so that he could see the paper better, "and the Hrshtravl's energy typically looks like this, when they combine, it looks like that. So! All we have to do is take the inverse of the localized energy wave, run it through a trans-harmonizer, aim it at our outraged outsider, and we should be able to remove all traces from his system, at least temporarily. It wouldn't, of course, work on a larger level without degradation of the fabric of time and space, so we can't use it on more than one being at a time, but it should work beautifully in this case."

"And how do we determine the inverse of the Hellmouth's energy?" asked Giles, and Buffy went to sit down next to Xander while the Doctor continued explaining, Willow pitching in here and there.

"You following any of this?" she asked Xander.

He tilted his head from side to side.

"A little. I think. Better than usual, anyway. The diagram helps."

"Mmm," agreed Buffy, watching the bookish types discuss their next move. She thought for a moment, trying to put together what she'd heard. "Wait," she said loudly, and the trio near the paper turned around. "We can get the Hellmouth energy that's making him all grr out of him, right? So why can't we do that on a vampire?"

"Well," said the Doctor, rubbing his neck with the hand not holding the drawing, "Dammusks aren't exactly the friendly sort under the best of circumstances. Probably can't tell much difference between those who are addicted to the rift energy and those who aren't, so if we tried to use this method on a so-called vampire, well…"

"We'd probably get bitten," finished Buffy, and the Doctor nodded. They went back to their discussion, and Buffy turned her attention back to Xander.

"So, where'd Anya really go?" she asked.

"Oh, you know… away," he said. "She's not too comfortable around the Doctor. I mean, I kinda get it, you know, 'cause either he's wrong or she's an alien. Ex-alien. Was inhabited by aliens. I don't know! It's confusing. Anyway, she said she'd come by after he's gone."

"Makes sense," said Buffy, looking down. She was ready to deal with this, to get on to… whatever. Maybe a date with a normal guy. Maybe a straightforward cemetery patrol without any blue boxes.

It wasn't that she didn't like the Doctor, it was just that being around him and his way of looking at things made her life a little... murky.

"Buffy," said Giles, sounding a little annoyed, and she realized it wasn't the first time he'd called her name.

"Yeah? What's up?" She stood, brushing imaginary dirt off her tight jeans.

"Willow and I are going to the magic shop to get what we need to cast the spell. You and the Doctor can go back to where you found the demon, but I wouldn't recommend engaging him yet."

"Wasn't planning on getting engaged a second time this week," muttered Buffy. "Sure, sounds good. You'll meet us there? The Doctor told you where?"

"Yes. We'll see you shortly," said Giles, distracted, as he and Willow left.

O~O~O

"Coming with us?" the Doctor asked Xander, who was still sitting comfortably.

"Nah," he said. "Gonna wait here for Anya."

"Right," said the Doctor, turning to Buffy. "Ready?"

She nodded at him, looking simultaneously distracted and determined.

"Let's go."

He grinned, mentally running through various different ways to say that particular phrase. He set an internal note to explore that further.

They left, walking past the TARDIS and to the street, along the same route they'd taken their first time out.

"So," said Buffy after a moment, "we're using magic?"

"Yup," said the Doctor, shoving his hands into his pockets and deciding to stick with terms less likely to need translation or explanation. "Basically, since Willow is able to tap into the local energy, we'll be able to use that to pinpoint the exact frequency we need. I'll take it from there with my sonic screwdriver."

He took it out of his coat pocket and wiggled it demonstratively.

"And what's that thingy do?" she asked, nodding at the sonic.

"All sorts of things," the Doctor replied. "Sort of like a, erm, Swiss Army Knife, only better. In this particular case, I'll be inputting the proper sonic frequency and broadcasting it in a localized direction, toward the Hrshtravl, of course."

"Ah," said Buffy, sounding less than enthusiastic about it.

"Very convenient tool," he said, returning it to its proper location.

They walked quietly for a time, the silence not quite uncomfortable.

"So, have you ever probed someone?" asked Buffy suddenly.

"What?" asked the Doctor, surprised.

"You know. Probed. Cause you're an alien, and they do that, right?"

"No, no," corrected the Doctor. "I never did fully understand that stereotype. There are races who might do that, of course, but they don't visit Earth until… Well, it shouldn't be a common misconception."

He sniffed and smoothed his jacket.

"So you haven't probed Rose?" she asked, a hint of mischievousness in her voice, if he wasn't mistaken.

"Of course not," he retorted. "That's not proper Time Lord behavior."

"And do you always behave all proper? Wouldn't that get boring?" she asked, looking at him.

He continued to look straight ahead, spotting a familiar landmark.

"Ah, here we are," he said excitedly, taking a few bouncing steps forward, glancing back at Buffy to be sure she still followed.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Giles and Willow should be here soon with what they need," said the Doctor.

"Yeah," said Buffy, looking around.

The Doctor wondered whether she ever relaxed fully. Maybe he could talk her into just a quick trip to somewhere fun. After they stopped to pick up Rose, of course. Then again, given the Sunnydale outlook on aliens, it might not be the best idea he'd ever had.

"The shop is almost on the way from Giles's to here, so it should be just a minute," she added. "Let's stand over here," she said, pointing to a spot several feet away that would give them a good view but would keep them from being seen immediately if Klurggknarff arrived before they were ready for him.

The Doctor's own superior hearing would, of course, be of benefit, he thought as they walked over to where she had indicated.

Approximately forty-eight point three seconds after the Doctor and Buffy stopped walking, Willow and Giles arrived. Buffy called them over, and the two immediately started setting up their supplies.

The Doctor watched, fascinated, as a combination of geometry, enhancing herbs, and apparently-pointless additions all came together to create a catalyst for the energy that Willow was able to tap into so much more easily than she should be able to, thanks to both her own brilliance and the aid of the odd rift energy. The Doctor took a moment to wonder how long the energy would cling, how well she would be able to perform away from the rift, and how much more powerful she would grow.

It might not be the worst idea to plan a return trip in a few years.

Just as Willow opened her mouth-presumably to tell the Doctor that the spell was ready to gather and transfer the information to the sonic, which he already knew-the Doctor heard the distinct footfall pattern of the Hrshtravl approaching. He held up his hand for silence and nodded in the direction of the footsteps. Buffy readied her stake, Giles lit a candle directly in front of Willow, and Willow focused.

The Doctor stepped out of their sheltered corner and into the light.

"Klurggknarff! Long time, no see," he said, casually collecting his sonic screwdriver and holding it by his side. Behind him, he heard Willow begin chanting, and in front of him, the Hrshtravl froze. "I thought maybe we'd try talking again since we were interrupted last time. How long did you say you've been here?"

The other alien growled and shifted back and forth.

"I know it's hard," said the Doctor speaking loudly enough for his voice to carry "fighting off a foreign substance. Why, I've had to deal with…"

He stopped speaking as the Hrshtravl started running toward him, quickly closing the space between them.

"Now would be good," the Doctor called to Willow over his shoulder without taking his eyes fully off the advancing alien. He felt Buffy come stand next to his other side, tense.

"Done!" yelled Willow, and the Doctor felt the sonic grow warm for a moment as it accepted the unusually-input information regarding the frequency.

O~O~O

Buffy readied for the attack she was almost sure was about to come, shifting her weight so that she could jump out of the way or into the creature's path depending on where he went, and who she needed to protect.

She raised her stake, stopping when she heard an odd buzzing noise from the Doctor's direction. The alien-who-looked-alien slowed, then came to a stop just in front of them, shaking his head repeatedly.

"I can think," said the Hersh… the demon. "That is… it won't last long, will it?"

He looked at the Doctor.

"That's right," he answered. "Can you get to your ship quickly?"

There was a nod in response.

"It's right through there," he said, pointing at a sewer drain. "I can start planet exit sequence and have liftoff within three minutes."

"Good," said the Doctor. "This will only work once."

The creature turned, then hesitated.

"If it stops working, I don't think I can stop myself much longer. I felt trapped. I was watching from the inside but could barely hold on." He looked at Buffy. "If I don't make it away from here, I need you to stop me from hurting anyone."

Buffy lowered her stake. She nodded, and as the odd creature ran quickly to where he'd left his ship, she hoped with everything she had that he would get away safely.

"Let's go back to the TARDIS," said the Doctor calmly. "I can track his ship from there."

* * *

_Reviews!_

_ : I'm glad you're liking it! _

_shtoops: In my mind, there end up being multiple alien races that people mistake as vampires and other mythical creatures, which is where varied mythologies come from. It gives more possibilities, too :)_

_InterdimensionalHitchhiker84: Thank you very much!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: Here's the last chapter! Thank you, everyone, for reading. You are wonderful!_

_A special thanks to Resile and Scullywolf-I wouldn't have written this without them._

_Beta: Scullywolf_

* * *

As they all piled into the TARDIS, the Doctor bounced over to the most computer-looking part of the middle section, pressed a few keys, and grinned. Buffy came to stand next to him, the display still looking like circles and squiggles to her.

"He made it safely away," the Doctor said, his smile widening.

Buffy sighed, relieved, and felt some of the tension in her shoulders go away.

"Good. It's one thing to kill someone who wants me dead, but to kill someone who just wants to leave is a bit… Icky."

"Right," said the Doctor. "Not a good habit to get into, that."

"And the _being_ won't return once your interruption to the Hellmouth wears off, correct?" asked Giles. He looked around, observing the room without any change in his expression.

"That's right," confirmed the Doctor, turning so he was leaning back against the console, his hands in his pockets, one ankle crossed over the other. "He's now well out of range, and without the rift nearby to connect to, the excess energy in him is relatively harmless and should dissipate with little-to-no long-term effect."

"That's good to hear," said Giles. He looked around the room one more time while the Doctor watched him silently, neither man's expression particularly easy to read. "Well, I'd best be going. You're leaving after this, yes?"

"Yup," said the Doctor, standing straight and turning slightly, pressing a few keys before looking at Giles again. "Don't like to stay in one place for too long. Much too much to do and see." He smiled again.

"Right," said Giles, looking like he wanted to clean his glasses. "Well, it was… interesting to meet you," he said with a nod. He turned and started toward the door.

"Likewise," called the Doctor as Giles left. When the door shut, the Doctor clapped and rubbed his hands together. "So," he said, looking at Buffy briefly and then letting his gaze rest on Willow, "do you want to take a trip? Anywhere in space and time."

Willow's eyes lit up for a second, then dimmed. She gave the Doctor a small smile and shook her head.

"I know it'd be great and all, but I'm afraid and wouldn't want to come back, and, well, I kinda think I need to be here right now." Willow looked down at the shoe she was scuffing against the grating on the floor. "But if you ever come back to Sunnydale, you should find me. Just in case, you know, I changed my mind."

"I'll do that," he said.

She looked back at the Doctor and gave a more genuine smile. "It's been great, though."

"It has," agreed the Doctor, his voice warm.

"Well… bye."

Willow started to leave, then paused and looked back at the Doctor.

"I'll say goodbye to Xander and Anya for you," she said, then continued on her way out.

The Doctor blinked, and Buffy wondered why that seemed to surprise him.

O~O~O

He'd forgotten about the others, not that he made a habit of unnecessary goodbyes, anyway. He turned toward Buffy.

"What about you?" he asked, already fairly certain of her answer. Willow had been, too, he suspected, or she'd not have left so easily. "Want to go somewhere, see something new?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Nuh-uh. We both know that we're too different from each other, both too used to leading. We'd never survive a road trip together. Even without a road."

The Doctor nodded.

"That's probably true. Not many can travel with me for long."

A gleam of interest appeared in Buffy's eyes, and she tilted her head slightly.

"Has Rose been with you for long?" she asked.

"Couple years," said the Doctor, turning away and programming some of the initial commands needed before he left.

"Sorry to bring it up again, it's just…" Buffy paused. "It seems like you care about her, you know, but you say you're not with her. There's someone I was… well, it was complicated. But he left. I thought we could figure things out, but…."

The Doctor looked at her a moment. She was staring somewhere off to the side, absorbed in her thoughts rather than in what she was seeing. She shook herself, and he turned back to the console before she looked at him.

"Anyway," Buffy continued, "I guess I'm trying to say that if you don't try, you're never gonna know what might happen, and people leave, or they die or get turned into demons, and then you can't do anything about it. And sometimes it's better to know than to wonder."

The Doctor stopped moving. On the one hand, getting romantic advice from someone so young and so human seemed ludicrous. On the other hand…

"Thanks," he said without turning to look at her, continuing with the programming of his departure and arrival. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So where ya headed next?" she asked, and the Doctor relaxed at the subject change.

"Could be anywhere," he said, turning to lean against the console again. "Past or future, Earth or Raxacoricofallapatorius or Clom." He paused and made a face. "Probably not Clom. In fact, that whole system is worth avoiding. It stinks. Quite literally. Anyway, I figure we'll set the controls to random, let the TARDIS take us where we're wanted or needed or unwanted or just somewhere to have an adventure."

The Doctor smiled, thinking of the possibilities, then focused back on the person in front of him.

"What about you?" he asked. "What's next?"

"Oh, you know, the usual, holding off the forces of darkness in between classes and dates."

"More slaying, then?" he queried lightly.

"I don't have a choice," she told him, sounding more tired than defensive. "They find me, wherever I am, and if I don't do something, people _die_."

"There's always a choice," said the Doctor quietly, remembering. "But, I'll grant you, sometimes the best choice still isn't a good one, and it isn't easy, being the one who has to choose."

Buffy nodded.

"Plus," she added, "I don't have all this…." She waved, gesturing around the console room to illustrate what she was saying. "Instead of all this stuff you've got to help turn demons into friendly aliens, I've got my weapons, my handy stake."

"As long as you don't use weapons first when there are other options." He raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"I've gotten pretty good at telling who wants me dead," she said with a rueful smile. "And I don't even kill all of them."

"Send some off with a merry handshake?"

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Dated some of them, actually. Almost married one. Sort of."

"Ah," he said. No wonder she didn't even blink at encouraging an interspecies relationship; the idea wasn't alien to her at all.

"Anyway, I'm… I can't and won't promise not to kill. I'm the Slayer. But that's not all I am, you know?"

The Doctor nodded.

"I do."

Buffy rubbed her arm, looking down at the floor.

"Okay then, well, I'm gonna head back, talk to Giles," she said. "Drive safe, or fly safe, or phone safe, or whatever it is you do in here."

The Doctor looked again at the brilliant young woman who would have-had already had-such a big impact on the world around her. Humans. They never failed to amaze him.

"You do the same," he told her, smiling.

She rolled her eyes.

"Me and driving, they don't really mix," she said, "so I'm thinking flying would be even worse."

He felt his smile grow.

"Fair enough," he told her, crossing his arms.

"Okay, well, see ya," she said, crossing her own arms as she left.

O~O~O

Buffy shut the TARDIS door behind her, wondering for a minute how many people the Doctor had said goodbye to. He didn't look that old, but something in his eyes told her he'd lost a lot of people. He reminded her of Angel a bit, an old soul trapped in a younger body.

She sighed, moving toward Giles's door, stopping when she heard a grinding sort of noise behind her. She turned in time to see the TARDIS blink in and out and then disappear entirely.

"Huh," she said aloud. She'd kinda expected the ship to have a bit more smooth of an exit, maybe flash a little before blasting off or something.

She shrugged and went inside, where Giles was sitting on the couch.

"Everyone else go home?" she asked, sitting down on the chair next to him.

"Everyone who has a home to go to," responded Giles, looking annoyed. Buffy heard some movement from another room. Spike must have been untied.

"Thanks for keeping Spike here until we know more about what's going on. I mean, he can't exactly stay at the dorm with me and Willow." She thought for a moment. "What are we going to do with him when we're sure he's told us everything about the commandos? I mean, I know I threatened to stake him, but he's harmless right now. Repulsive, but harmless."

"Does seem rather less than sporting to kill him now, doesn't it?" answered Giles. "I suppose we'll need to find somewhere for him to stay. This encounter with the Doctor did muddle things some, didn't it?"

"Yeah," said Buffy. "Aliens, huh?"

Giles took off his glasses and started cleaning them.

"It's rather hard for me to wrap my mind around, honestly," he said, putting the glasses back on. "Especially since this particular alien appears to travel in a phone box."

She heard some shuffling, and then Spike poked his head into the living room. She rolled her eyes and looked away from his uber-blondness while he spoke.

"What would an alien do in a phone box?"

O~O~O

The Doctor checked his time and location after the TARDIS materialized on the grass nearest Jackie's flat. He'd shown up when he'd meant to, as was more likely when Rose wasn't with him. He refused to admit, though, that he often paid more attention to her than to what he was supposed to be doing.

He thought once more about Sunnydale, about Buffy and Willow in particular, and he wondered again how Rose would have reacted to the whole situation, to the people in it. She always did seem to see things in ways he couldn't. A return trip still sounded like it might be a good idea, maybe a few years into Sunnydale's future, and he could bring his companion that time.

He'd miss Rose, more than miss her, when she inevitably left him, as everyone did in the end. Unlike Buffy, the Doctor knew that the fact that people left meant that it was usually better to keep some distance rather than to throw oneself into further hurt. However, perhaps that viewpoint was one that was acquired through age and experience. Did that mean, though, that it was a better viewpoint or just an older one?

He took a deep breath. None of this needed thinking about right now. He reset the controls, just in case he and Rose needed a quick getaway-it tended to happen when they were around Jackie-and he walked outside, opening the doors to see a blonde ponytail and a smile that made him glad he'd taken in some extra air.

Rose bounced a bit as she took a last step toward him and threw her arms around him. He smiled and made a contented sound as he returned the hug.

"Didn't think you were coming out of there for a minute," she said, pulling back, a hint of tongue sneaking between her teeth.

He let her pull away, catching one of her hands rather than losing contact entirely.

"Needed to think a moment," he said, and Rose's smiled softened.

"What'd you do while I was gone?" she asked, reaching down to grab the bag of laundry she'd dropped for their embrace.

They walked hand-in-hand to the console before he let go, fingers sliding against palms as if to absorb as much touch as possible.

"Well," he said, grinning, ready to share his tale, "there was this strange rift energy, and I followed it, landed in a graveyard in the States..."

* * *

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_InterdimensionalHitchhiker84: Thanks again for the review, and for hoping I'm well soon :)_


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